I am 69, female and diagnosed a couple of years ago with Type 2. Was on diet controlled but started with Metformin a year ago. All well until this winter when levels went skyhigh. Now struggling for low enough levels on a mixture of Metformin 2000mg a day plus Sitagliptin 100mg.
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Hi everyone
- Thread starter macvalgal
- Start Date
jack412
Expert
what has your Dr/nurse said?
I guess your options are triple therapy or insulin
are you on a low carb diet? it will help with whatever meds you are on
it’s a long page and a few good video’s
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
For me, the more carbs we eat the more carbs we want. they don’t give up easy
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/firstweek.htm
triple therapy or insulin example
I guess your options are triple therapy or insulin
are you on a low carb diet? it will help with whatever meds you are on
it’s a long page and a few good video’s
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
For me, the more carbs we eat the more carbs we want. they don’t give up easy
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/firstweek.htm
triple therapy or insulin example
daisy1
Legend
- Messages
- 26,457
- Location
- Switzerland
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
@macvalgal
Hello and welcome to the forum
Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful to lower your levels. Ask more questions and someone will be able to help you.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 130,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
Reduce your carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Hello and welcome to the forum
Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful to lower your levels. Ask more questions and someone will be able to help you.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 130,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
- Reduce your carbohydrate intake
- Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
- structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
- self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Bluetit1802
Legend
Hello and welcome to the forum.
Have you considered going low carb with your diet? What is a typical day's menu for you? Maybe we can spot something.
Have you considered going low carb with your diet? What is a typical day's menu for you? Maybe we can spot something.
I am reading about low carb diets now but am finding it rather confusing. I usually have sugar-free yoghurt for breakfast with a banana and a brown bread sandwich for lunch with something like tuna for a filling. Dinner is a bit random at the moment but maybe a pork chop with veg and a small amount of potato or perhaps chilli with brown rice..
Thanks for the links - will check them out.
Daibell
Master
Hi and welcome. Your diet doesn't look too bad but anything that keeps overall carbs down will help. If the low-carb diet doesn't help enough then as Jack says you may need to have a 3rd tablet added (possibly Gliclazide?) and insulin if needed. I've been down the same route over the last 10 years originally diagnosed as a T2 at age 60 but it become obvious to me that I was Late onset T1 so insulin became inevitable. With a bit of luck a low-carb diet with a 3rd tablet may delay or prevent the need for insulin. If you are overweight then the right diet should help a lot.
sanguine
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 3,340
- Location
- Devon
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
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- Intolerance, career politicians, reality TV and so-called celebrity culture, mobile phones in the quiet carriage.
Sorry I disagree - ordinary yoghurt, even if 'sugar free', banana. brown bread, potato, brown rice - these are all best avoided if you want to keep your condition under control with minimal medication. All carbs convert to glucose quickly, some just take a little longer than others.
@macvalgal (welcome by the way
) do you have a test meter or do you just rely on the periodical HbA1cs? Do you know what your levels have been since diagnosis? Have a read of the first item linked in my sig below and ask any questions. It is confusing at first, especially if you have been following the NHS diet advice which most on here find to send completely the wrong message for diabetics. But don't panic we can support you.
Bluetit1802
Legend
Welcome @macvalgal
I completely agree with @sanguine. Bananas are the worst fruit you could chose, and brown bread sandwiches are not a good choice. Most of us couldn't cope with 2 slices of bread at one sitting. Many can't even cope with one slice. Rice (brown or not) is also a culprit in raising blood sugars, although a spoonful might be OK. Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, cereals are all major carbs that need reducing or avoiding, and we must also be careful with fruit and milk.
It is confusing because we are told to eat carbs, especially wholemeal, by our nurses and dieticians, but carbs convert to glucose, and glucose is what we don't want in our bloodstreams.
Have a good read round these forums, and ask any questions.
I also agree with @zand Fage Total Greek yogurt (full fat) is delicious with a few berries thrown in.
I completely agree with @sanguine. Bananas are the worst fruit you could chose, and brown bread sandwiches are not a good choice. Most of us couldn't cope with 2 slices of bread at one sitting. Many can't even cope with one slice. Rice (brown or not) is also a culprit in raising blood sugars, although a spoonful might be OK. Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, cereals are all major carbs that need reducing or avoiding, and we must also be careful with fruit and milk.
It is confusing because we are told to eat carbs, especially wholemeal, by our nurses and dieticians, but carbs convert to glucose, and glucose is what we don't want in our bloodstreams.
Have a good read round these forums, and ask any questions.
I also agree with @zand Fage Total Greek yogurt (full fat) is delicious with a few berries thrown in.
Bluetit1802
Legend
Any supermarket.
